On the 28th, the French fleet was sighted a long way out in the Atlantic. Villaret-Joyeuse, who was out to protect the grain convoy at all costs, drew still further out to sea, Howe following in pursuit.[43] Towards evening, the last French ship _Revolutionnaire_ (100), was come up with and engaged by six British (seventy-four’s), of which one, the _Audacious_, was badly crippled. The _Revolutionnaire_ herself was dismasted, but was towed away by a frigate in the night. This particular incident is one of the most prominent examples of the power of the “monster” ship as compared with the “moderate dimension” ship[44] of the period. The six did not attack her simultaneously, and some were never closely engaged. She was magnificently fought also; but even when these elements are subtracted, the fact of the extraordinary resisting power exhibited remains. As only the _Audacious_, which attacked last, did much harm to the Frenchman, the explanation in this particular case probably lies in the stouter scantlings required for a ship of 110 guns, compared to smaller ships. On the following day the action was renewed. Villaret-Joyeuse allowed his tail ships to drop into range of the leading British vessels with a view to crippling them. Howe cut the line, but being somewhat outmanœuvred by the French admiral, obtained no special advantage therefrom. Some of the French ships were, however, disabled, and had to be towed in the general action that was to follow later. Two days’ fog now interrupted operations, but on Sunday, June 1st, battle was joined. The opposing fleets then consisted as follows:-- BRITISH. FRENCH. 3 of 100 guns. 1 of 120 guns. 4 of 98 guns. 2 of 100 guns. 2 of 80 guns. 4 of 80 guns. 16 of 74 guns. 19 of 74 guns. -- -- 25 26 -- -- This gives 2,036 British to 2,066 French guns, but as, at least, one Frenchman was considerably disabled, there was probably a slight British superiority. Howe, more or less, arranged his heavy ships to correspond with the heavy ships of the enemy, and having hove-to half-an-hour for breakfast, flung the old fighting instructions[45] to the winds and bore right down into the enemy. In the _melee_ that ensued, some of the English failed to close, and seven of the French drifted to leeward out of action. Of the French fleet, two eighty-gun and four seventy-four’s were badly mauled and eventually struck, while a seventh French ship, the _Vengeur_ (seventy-four) was sunk.[46] Four were badly disabled, but drifted to leeward out of the fight. On the British side a number of ships were badly damaged. The fleets, having drawn apart, Villaret-Joyeuse succeeded in getting a portion of his fleet into some sort of order again, and threatened the disabled English ships. Howe protected these, but did not renew action; and the French, with the disabled ships in tow, made off.